Arashiyama is a very popular spot in Kyoto thanks to its history, nature, and clean air. Tenryuji is one of the famous temples here and was registered as a world heritage site in 1994. Kyoto has a lot of temple and shrine which was registered as a world heritage. In this article, we focus on Tenryuji.

Gate of Tenryuji

Inside the temple grounds

The temple’s garden was made by Musou Soseki. Musou Souseki is Japanese priest. He had been lived from 1275 to 1351. This garden is Japanese style and karesansui. This word means the ‘expression of water flow through rocks and sand.’ The view of this garden changes each season. In spring, you can see the view of cherry blossoms. Autumn is especially beautiful because you can see the red, green and yellow leaves. In the autumn season, are a lot of people visit Arashiyama and Tenryuji, not only oversea tourists but also Japanese people. A good time to visit is in the morning and in mid-November.

If you visit in the early morning, you can feel at one with the beautiful nature: the sound of water, the warmth of the sunrise, the natural sound of trees, the smell of the trees and so on. Try sitting on the tatami closing your eyes and feel the nature. Inside the main hall, there is a painting of a ‘cloud dragon’ on the ceiling. You can see it just on Saturday, Sunday, public holidays and the special public day in spring and autumn. The painting of the dragon is very big and beautiful. If you go the inside Tenryuji, you have to pay cash. Adults (high school student and older), pay 500 yen, elementary school and junior high school students pay 300 yen, and younger children go in for free.

Garden of Tenryuj

Tatami

Akusejo of Tenryuji

An akusejo is the certificate of the temple. The meaning of certification is the evidence of visiting. You can do this at any temple, but each place has its own book design to collect them.

akusejo of Tenryuji have been starting from the Edo period (1603 to 1867). Originally, akusejo was the stamp that people could receive from a temple when they hand-copied sutras for temples and shrines. The akusejo includes the name of the temple, the date of the visit, and kakuou-houden（覚王寶殿） which means ‘to go and worship’. Kakuou (覚王)means ‘to respect Buddha’ and houden(寶殿) means the temple building where Buddhist images are enshrined for worshipping Buddha. Nowadays, people present their books to the staff of the temple who write these phrases in their own hand writing to mark their visit to the shrine.

Event of Tenryuji

There are event in Tenryuji. Especially I recommend to participate Zazen(坐禅). The reason why Japanese people do Zazen is finding yourself. In order to live the way you want, Japanese people practice Zazen. If you practice Zazen, you can take stresss-free life.

There are three points when you practice Zazen. First, you have to prepare your bodies. Second, ajust your posture and third, ajust your breathing. You can practice Zazen at Tenryuji every second month Sunday and 9am to 10am. You don’t need appointment and entry fee. However, in February, July and August don’t hold.

Getting to Tenryuji

There are three ways to get there. The first is by bus and takes about 30 minutes from Kyoto Station to Arashiyama Station. There are many buses going to Arashiyama, but the most direct bus is number 28. The number and the Chinese characters“嵐山”are on the front of the bus. A one-way adult ticket costs 230 yen, children are half-price, and of course, babies can ride for free. If you intend to take buses all day, you could get the all-day ticket which costs 600 yen.

The other way is that you can go by train. First, take the JR train from Kyoto Station to Saga Arashiyama Station. It takes about 20 minutes. Change here to the Randen Line and get off at Arashiyama Station. It takes about 2 minutes. If you get off Randen, you could arrive Tenryuji by going to the right.

Alternatively, you can ride the train from Kyoto Station to Shijo Station. Then, change to the Hankyu Line from Karasuma Station to Katsura Station. Finally, you have to change the train at Katsura Station to the Arashiyama Hankyu Line and get off at Arashiyama Station.

Once you arrive, there are many shops in Arashiyama and there is also the famous Togetsukyou Bridge. If you use the Hankyu Line to go to the Tenryuji, you have to cross the bridge and go straight.

There are many famous temples and places to enjoy in Kyoto, but if you want to feel the natural beauty of Japan, put Tenryuji on your list!

When you travel to Kyoto, which transportation do you use? There are many rail lines in Kyoto, such as the JR (Japan Railways) West line, and the Hankyu line, which are mainly in Kansai area. Taking the train is the best way to go to various sightseeing spots in Kyoto, because it is hardly ever delayed and the traffic in Kyoto sometimes bad, especially around the sightseeing spots. The JR Sagano line is the one of the most convenient rail lines, not only for local citizens, but also for tourists. There are 15 stations from Kyoto Station to Sonobe Station. On the way to Sonobe Station, you can see beautiful scenery through the window of the train, and of course you can get off the train and go and see these areas more closely. These are some recommended stations, which are near famous sightseeing spots.

Nijo Station

Nijo Station is located in Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City, between Tambaguchi Station and Enmachi Station. It is two stations and 6 minutes away from Kyoto Station by train. Many people use it because all trains stop at this station.

Recommended Sightseeing: Nijo Castle

You can get to Nijo Castle from Nijo Station in 15 minutes on foot. It was built in 1603 by the Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa, so this is a very famous castle in Japanese history. It was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. 400 cherry blossom trees and many other trees are planted on the Nijo Castle premises. When the cherry blossoms begin to bloom in the spring, every year they light up the trees after dark. Also, you can see snowfall in winter. Therefore, you can enjoy the seasonal nature at Nijo Castle. Special events are also held in Nijo Castle, such as the aquarium exhibition held in 2017. Admission is very reasonable for adults at 600 yen. Junior high school students and high school students pay 350 yen. You can check event information on the website.

Uzumasa Station

Uzumasa Station is located in Ukyo-ku, Kyoto City, between Hanazono Station and Arashiyama Station. It is a very small station, but there are many universities around there, so many people use it.

Recommended Sightseeing: Toei Kyoto Studio Park

Toei Kyoto Studio Park is a theme park where you can experience the world of TV samurai dramas. You can get there from Uzumasa Station in five minutes on foot. The admission fee is 2,200 yen for adults. You can also buy a book of attraction tickets and an annual passport. Inside the park, you can experience a film set of a town set in the Edo period, which is used in actual television shooting. There are also other attractions such as a haunted house and live shows. The park and its attractions can be enjoyed by adults and children all day. Also, there are Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean versions on the web site, so it is recommended that foreigners who are interested visit the web site.

Saga-Arashiyama Station

Saga-Arashiyama Station is located in Ukyo-ku, Kyoto city, between Uzumasa Station and Hozukyou Station. Many people use this station for transferring to the Trokko (Trolley) train. This station is near Arashiyama and you can walk to there, so many tourists pass through this station. Trokko train is train for tourists to enjoy the beautiful views of each season. This station was built in 1897 for cargo and passengers, and in 1994, the station’s name changed from Sagano station to Saga-Arashiyama Station.

Around the station, there are many attractive shops and restaurants. For example, there are some meat store where you can buy a croquette and eat it while you walk. It is enjoyable to sample the croquettes of each shop. Also, there is a café called Sagano-Yu. This building used to be a public bath, but is has been converted into a café. You can eat lunch there and buy some souverniers.

Hozukyo Station

Hozukyo Station is located in between Saga-Arashiyama station and Umahori Station. This station is actually on a bridge between two tunnels running through the mountain. The view from the station is very beautiful and we can feel the strong presence of nature. This station was built in 1936 near the current Trokko Hozukyo station, and in 1989, the station was placed on the bridge. There are no buildings around the station, but under the station runs the Katsura River. In the summer, many people enjoy white-water rafting downstream, so you can catch a glimpse of rafters enjoying the river if the timing is right. Many people also enjoy cycling and hiking in the area.

Seishun 18 Ticket

There is no discount ticket only for the JR Sagano line, but if you travel to Kyoto, and some other places in Japan, you should buy a Seishun 18 ticket. This is a 5-day train pass that costs 11,850 yen. You can use it at almost all JR stations in Japan. Also, if you travel to Japan with your friends or family, you can share it. However, it can be used only on local trains, so you can’t use it for the Shinkansen (bullet train), limited express trains, or sleeper cars. If you are interested in this ticket you can research it on the internet, as there are other kinds of passes as well.http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/seishun18.html

As you can see, there are many things to see and do along the JR Sagano line. If you would like to go to some famous and traditional Japanese sightseeing spots in Kyoto, you should definitely use the JR Sagano line.

Arashiyama, in Kyoto, is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Japan. Not only Japanese but also many foreign tourists visit this part of Kyoto city every year. Arashiyama has many different kinds of sights and is famous for temples, shrines, a huge bamboo grove, autumn leaves and the Togetsukyo Bridge. Arashiyama is surrounded by nature and so visitors can enjoy different scenes as the seasons change. In the middle of such a sightseeing mecca, there is a monkey paradise called Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama.

Arashiyama Monkey Park

This monkey park was begun after Japanese monkeys (nihonzaru or the Japanese Macaque) living there were fed for research by Kyoto University in 1954. After that, the area became a park and was opened to the public in 1957. Currently, about 120 monkeys live in their wild state. However these monkeys have come to recognize that human beings do not pose a threat to them because there are strict rules for visitors. Therefore, even if humans come nearby, the monkeys are not afraid. But you must not gaze at their eyes or touch them because they recognize these actions as aggressive behavior and will retaliate. In their view, you are taking a threatening attitude toward them.

About Japanese monkeys

Japanese monkeys are well known for appearing in old folktales in Japan. In their natural habitat they live in groups of about a dozen individuals and their life expectancy is said to be around 30 years. Among monkeys, the Japanese Macaque is the northernmost most species. Since monkeys are usually distributed in tropical regions, Japanese monkeys, especially those living in the northern snowy areas of Japan, are called “snow monkeys.” They usually live in deep in the mountains. Therefore, researchers around the world are very surprised because they can see monkeys here.

Access, Fees and Information

The park entrance is about fifteen minutes from the Hankyu Arashiyama and Keifuku Arashiyama train stations. In addition you have to walk a mountain path for about ten minutes from there. You should wear good walking shoes or boots and not high heels. Sports shoes or sneakers are best. There are no free exclusive parking for visitors, but there are pay parking lots nearby the entrance.

The admission fee is 550 yen for each adult and 250 yes for children (children nder three years of age are free). There are a group rates for parties of thirty or more. If the group rates apply, the fee becomes 450 yen for adults and 200 yen for children. If you want to feed the monkeys, you have to pay 100 yen on the top of mountain. You can buy apples, pineapples and peanuts for 100 yen.

The Monkey Park is open throughout the year. However on days of heavy rain days or heavy snow it is closed. If you want to check if the park is open, you can call 075-872-0950. Business hours are 9:00~16:30 in summer (March 15~September 30) and 9:00~16:00 in winter (October 1~March 14). But sometime the monkeys return to the forest later in the day. So you should visit the park at an early time.

What is the best way to do sightseeing on the west side of Kyoto city? On this page, we recommend useful and comfortable transportation: a tram named Randen.

The Randen Keifuku Line is a tram which runs from Shijo-Omiya to Arashiyama with a total of 13 stations. In the day time, it runs 6 times per hour. Usually it is one car long, but at rush hour and at the height of the tourist season, it is two cars long.

Merits of Using Randen

There are several advantages to using the Randen. First, the Randen is punctual. If you use a bus for sightseeing, it will be late because buses are often late. On the other, the Randen is never late. In addition, because it runs 6 times per an hour, you can plan your trip by the minute. Second, it is not crowded, so you can ride it very comfortably and don’t need to worry about your big baggage. Finally, it is fast. It only takes about 1~2 minutes to move to the next stop, so you can save your time to do sightseeing.

Fare for Randen

You can buy a Randen one day pass at Shijo-Omiya (A1), Katabiranotsuji (A8), Arashiyama (A13) or Kitano-Hakubaicho (B9). It costs 500 yen and with it, you can ride the Randen all day without limit. If you board the Randen without a one day pass, you have to pay 220 yen (adults) or 110 yen (children, between 6~12 age) per ride. Once you board, all you need to do is pay or show your one day pass when you get off the train. At Shijo-Omiya, Katabiranotsuji, Arashiyama and Kitano-Hakubaicho, you have to pay or show your one day pass at the ticket gate.

Famous Spots Along the Randen

KORYUZJI

Located in Uzumasa, the Koryuji temple is one of the oldest pieces of architecture in Kyoto. This temple was established approximately 1,300 years ago and is dedicated to Shotoku Taishi, one of the founders of Buddhism in Japan. As soon as you enter the temple, you can walk on the stone-paved road. On both sides of the road, a wide range of trees, such as pine, is planted. Moreover, you can go to the Toei Uzumasa Movie Park, which is just a 5-minute walkfrom Koryuji temple. This is kind of historical theme park in which you feel like you are back in Edo era, with samurai, ninja, and geisha. The nearest station of these spots is Uzumasa Koryuji Station (A7).

KURUMAZAKI SHRINE

Located in Saga, the Kurumazaki Shrine is dedicated to the Confucian scholar, Kiyoharano Yorinari. This shrine is well known for its religious stones, so many tourists go there to get fortune stones to make their wishes come true or to remove bad luck. There is strange way of wishing, which is to write down your name on a human-shaped piece of paper and then put it into a box while making your wish. Inside the shrine, there is a sub-shrine, called the Geino shrine. A lot of famous entertainers in Japan visit here and they write their name or group name on a red stick for their success in the future. The moment you get off the train at Kurumazaki Shirine Station (A10), you can see the shrine in front of the station.

ROKUOUIN

Here is a Japanese beautiful garden Before reaching this garden, you go through a road covered with various kinds of vivid green trees. You can feel nature strongly here, even though you are in the middle of Kyoto city. The nearest Randen station is Rokuoin Station (A11). It is about a 7-minute walk to reach the garden.

HOGONIN

As soon as you enter this temple, you will start to feel very calm because there is extreme quiet or only a tweet of some birds. The period you can enter there is limited to only the spring and autumn. In both seasons, you can see a great garden, which contains some beautiful red trees in the autumn. The nearest Randen station is Arashiyama Station (A13). You can also enjoy some famous sightseeing spots, such as the Togetsukyo bridge and the Bamboo Road in Arashiyama.

OMURO NINNAJI TEMPLE

Omuro Ninnaji temple was registered as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1994. Construction began in 886 and was finished two years later. In the spring, this temple is famous for its beautiful cherry blossoms. The nearest Randen station is Omuroninnnazji Station (B5). In front of the station, there is restaurant where you can eat traditional Indian curry.

RYOANJI TEMPLE

Ryoanji is also World Heritage site. It has the most famous rock gardens in Japan. You can feel wabisabi (the art of imperfection) in this sophisticated garden with no chaos at all. One interesting way of observing this garden is when you focus on stones in the garden. From any angle you can’t see all the stones at one time. The last stone is definitely hidden behind another stone. The nearest Randen station is Ryoanji Station (B7).

TOJIIN

Here is placed in near Ninnaji temple and Ryoanji temple and was established in 1341, Muromachi era, by Takauzi Ashikaga who is the founder and first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. There is also beautiful garden inside here. Furthermore, you can see the tea-ceremony room, which is completely sophisticated and extremely Japanese shape of culture. Nearest Station is Tojiin Station (B8).

Model Randen Sightseeing Plan

Let us suggest a sightseeing plan for using one-day Randen ticket. First, your Randen trip starts from Shijo Omiya station. Take the tram for 13 minutes to Uzumasa-Tenjingawa station. There you can visit Koryuji temple.

Next, take the tram from Uzumasa-Tenjingawa station. to Kurumazaki-jinja station. You can visit Kurumazaki-shrine there. Then, take the tram to Rokuoin station. It’s the next station from Kurumazaki-jinja station. Walking a short distance from the station, you will find Rokuoin.

After that, take the tram for Arashiyama station. The station is really nice and wonderful. They sell a lot of food and souvenirs. You can also enjoy a foot-bath there. Arashiyama has a lot of places to visit, but we recommend you visit Hougenin if it is the right season of the year. If you show your coupon, you can get some presents.

After you enjoy your stay in Arashiyama, take the tram again and get off at Katabirano-tsuji station. When you get off the tram at this station, you don’t have to show your one-day ticket. Change trains at the station, and get off at Omuro-ninnaji station. It’s the fifth station. There is a wonderful curry and rice restaurant right front of the station. We recommend you have some nice lunch there. After having lunch, you can visit Ninnaji temple.

Once you have seen Ninnaji, go back to Omuro-ninnaji station. and take the tram to Ryoanji station. It’s the second station. From the station, walk about 10 min. to arrive at Ryoanji temple. After visiting Ryoanji, finally, take the tram again and get off at Tojin station. It’s only a 5-minute walk.

That’s the best plan for using your one-day Randen ticket. You end up taking the trams nine times, and if you haven’t bought the one-day ticket, you would have spent over 2,000 yen!

It has become second nature to enjoy Christmas illumination every winter for Japanese people. How did this come about? According to one research (1), the origin of Christmas illumination dates back to the 16 century , when electricity still hadn’t been developed. In Germany, Martin Luther was impressed to see shining stars in the forest and tried to reproduce the beautiful scenery by decorating trees with candles. Afterward, Thomas Alva Edison started bulb illumination. He decorated his laboratory with incandescent light bulbs to advertise his invention. It is said that his decoration is the first bulb illumination in the world.

About 150 years ago, in the Meiji era, illumination came to Japan. Meijiya, the company that sold foreign goods at the time, started turning on illumination every night from December 15th until Christmas day. This event attracted public attention and people started flocking to see the flashy illumination every year. Now, we can see illumination all over Japan every winter. The warm light heals our heart and gives us a feeling of peace.

Then, we will give you some information about illumination in Kyoto that we recommend to you.

Gojo Street Illumination

Gojo street illumination

The Gojo Street Illumination is put on by the ROHM company, a Japanese semiconductor maker. This display first appeared in 1995 as a contribution to society. It is usually held between November 25th to December 25th from 17:00~22:00 of every year. More than 80 trees are decorated with more than 80,000 light bulbs. The main point of interest in this illumination is a tree-lined road. It is free to see, and people like to go there with someone special.

Arashiyama Illumination

Arashiyama illumination

The illumination display in Arashiyama is called Hanatouro. “Hana” means flower, “tou” means light, and “ro” means road. Its main concept is to color the nights of Kyoto with flowers and lights. This event has been held since 2005. This illumination is held from 17:00 to 20:30 in every year. About 2500 LED bulbs are used in this illumination. Moreover the road is decorated by a lot of flowers and it is beautiful. Moreover, the path through the bamboo forest is also lit up which expresses a sense of the Christmas season in Kyoto. Therefore we can enjoy walking down paths filled with a Japanese atmosphere.

Rurikei Hot Spring Illumination

Ruri Kei illumination

The Rurikei Hot Spring illumination is called Illumiere. This term is a combination of ‘illumination’ in English and ‘limiere’ in French, which means ‘light’. They want to give peace and hope to people all over the world from Kyoto through this illumination. It has been held since 2012, from October 29th to April 9th after sunset to 21:30. However it costs a small fee of \1,000 per person. More than 100 thousand LDE bulbs are used, and it is very beautiful.

Joyo City Illumination

Joyo City illumination

The Joyo City illumination is called TWINKLE JOYO and was started in 2002. This event is held from 17:30 to 21:30 in every year. It was originally held at a large park, but the illumination expanded to the city community center and shopping arcade, a sign of its growing progress. This year is the 15th anniversary, and the number of the bulbs is about 700,000. This display gathers illumination design ideas from various groups and companies. Volunteers decorate the illumination. During the display, a variety of events are held, such as the sale of special local products.

In conclusion, Kyoto has a lot of nice illumination spots, not only these illumination written in this article. However, most of these events in this season have been finished yet. If you have a chance to go to illumination next season, we recommend you go there with your someone special.

Getting There

Gojo Street Illumination

This illumination is located around Kasuga Gojo.Kasuga Street is the west of Kyoto station and Gojo Street is north of Kyoto station. If you are in Kyoto station, first you should take the JR Sagano Sanin Line (#33) and get off at the Tambaguchi station. It costs \140. Then you should take a bus (#32, #43 or #75) and get off at the Nishi-oji- Gojo bus stop. It costs \230. It takes about 10 minutes from Kyoto station to the bus stop.

Arashiyama Illumination

Take the JR Sagano Sanin Line (#33) to Saga Arashiyama station. It takes about 15 minutes and it costs \240. If you are near the Randen station, take the train to Arashiyama, which is the last station on the line.

Rurikei Hot Spring Illumination

Rurikei is in Nantan City, which is in the northwest of Kyoto Prefecture. It is quite far from Kyoto City. If you’d like to go to there, you should use a car. It takes more than 1 hour to get there from the city.

Joyo City Illumination

Take the JR Nara Line to Joyo station. It takes about 30 minutes and it costs \360. From there you should take the private bus – called Joyo SanSan Bus Primein – which takes about 10 minutes.

Ukai, or ‘cormorant fishing’ is a traditional fishing method using a cormorant bird to catch ayu (sweetfish). The season for cormorant fishing is from the middle of May to the middle of October of each year. Interestingly, ukai is often practiced at night. Fishermen make a fire on the fishing boat because ayu have a habit of gathering in lighted places in the dark. This allows the cormorants to catch the fish more easily. However ukai is never practiced on the night of a full moon, because the ayu do not gather around the light of the fire so well. The people who train and control the cormorants are called ‘cormorant fishermen’. The number of cormorants used at one time differ by region and fisherman, but the average number is five to ten. Cormorant fishermen have to know exactly when cormorants swallow the fish so that they can call the cormorants back to the boat and have them regurgitate the fish into a basket.

History of Cormorant Fishing

Cormorant fishing in Japan has a long history. It is unknown who began cormorant fishing. However, a history book published in 712 A.D. mentions cormorant fishing. This suggests that it has been practiced for at least 1300 years or more. Not only do Japan and China have a history of ukai in their cultures, but surprisingly ukai was practiced as a sport in Europe from the 16th to 17th centuries. The fish caught by cormorants lose consciousness in esophagus of the cormorant without injury. This keeps the fish fresh and uninjured, making them highly valued in the marketplace. However, due to its inefficiency in comparison with standard methods of fishing with nets and hooks, the popularity of cormorant fishing gradually decreased over time. Now, it is mostly done in Japan for the tourism industry.

Cormorants

Cormorant in Kyoto

Cormorants are highly intelligent birds and can understand hierarchical relationships. They are about 80 cm in length and have a sharp crooked bill. Therefore they are suited for fishing. Cormorant craftsmen catch wild cormorants.

Wild cormorants are well-trained. Cormorant fishermen take care of them every day for 2 or 3 years. In general, the longevity of a cormorant is from 4 to 5 years, but the cormorants used in Ukai are treated carefully. For this reason, their lifespan is from 15 to 20 years. Cormorant fishermen do their work with the birds around the noon. This practice is what is often shown to the public.

What is the life cormorant fishing like? In the morning, after checking the condition of their birds, the fishermen decide which cormorant take to fishing. In the afternoon, fishermen give the birds free time to relax in the water. The fishermen don’t feed them so much because hungry cormorants can catch their own fish quite well. In the evening, fishermen take chosen cormorants fishing. It is important not to tie their throat too strongly because it will decrease the birds’ motivation. On the other hand, if the rope is too loose, most of fish get swallowed completely. After fishing, fishermen feed and stroke their cormorants to thank them for their efforts.

Cormorant Fishermen

Most cormorant fishermen are born into their craft via long lines of cormorant fishermen. Still, they need a long training period to become fully qualified. First, they need a strong grip and skillful hand movements because the power of cormorants pulling the ropes is quite strong. In addition, it is difficult to make cormorants eject the fish from their throats. This is done by holding the birds’ throats in just the right way. Although cormorant fishing is done only in during the warmer months of the year, fishermen must still take daily care of their birds year round. They have to feed them, take care of their bills, and clean their cages with love.

Where to Observe Cormorant Fishing

The best ukai season is in the summer evenings. If you are interested in observing ukai, you should reserve an ukai tour in advance because it is very popular and crowded. Moreover the road to the spot is also crowded, so you ought to arrive as early as you can.

In Japan, there are about a dozen famous ukai locations, one of them being Kyoto. Kyoto actually has ukai areas, one of them is near the Uji River and the other is near Ooi Arashiyama. But it is the one near Arashiyama that is the most popular.

Getting to Arashiyama

From Kyoto station, take the JR Sagano Sanin Line (#3) to Saga Arasiyama station. It takes about 15 minutes and it costs \240. From the Randen station (Keifuku train), take the train to Arasiyama station, the last stop on that line. On the other hand, if you have One-Day Bus ticket, take the No. 28 bus, which takes about an hour from Kyoto station.

Have you ever ridden a rickshaw? There are many different kinds of rickshaws in the world. A rickshaw is generally a vehicle pulled by one man and has space for only two or three passengers. It is called jinrikisha in Japanese. Min Kyoto visitors are able to go around tourist attractions by rickshaw, and the driver act as a guide to various places. In Kyoto we can usually see rickshaws in the Arashiyama, Gion and Okazaki areas. Rickshaws are very famous because they are historical, popular in Kyoto for tourism and present a good opportunity to learn about the city.

Rickshaw History

Rickshaws were hand-drawn taxi-cabs used in the past in Singapore. The name “rickshaw” was changed to jinrikisha, the Japanese name for the vehicle, which literally translated means “man-powered carriage.” Some say the rickshaw was invented by Jonathan Gable, an American missionary who designed it for his wife. It came to Singapore in 1880. In the same year, it was brought to Shimla in the Himalayas, and later appeared in Beijing around 1886. It was a primary source of income for thousands of Chinese immigrants who came to Singapore between the 1880s to the 1930s. The rickshaw became a major vehicle for public transport. They were very popular in China and were first used as private vehicles by aristocratic families. Some had iron-rimmed wheels and cabs made of pine wood. They were expensive to buy at $25 in 1881. They competed with two-wheeled horse carriages, but in the old days, the rickshaw was cheaper and faster.

Rickshaws Today

Nowadays rickshaws are used mainly for tourists. Okayama Prefecture first used rickshaws in 1970; after that rickshaws came to Kyoto and people got to know about them. At first, the rickshaw business began as transport that was suited for tasteful townscapes, and soon became a tourist attraction in Kyoto. The most well-known rickshaw company is “Ebisuya” and they possess 228 rickshaws.

Many tourists use rickshaws in Japan because it relaxing and comfortable. When riding a rickshaw, the passenger’s eye level is much higher than usual, so views of the surrounding scenery or different and enjoyable. In addition, Kyoto has many hills in historical places so it is easier to go by rickshaw. Also it is killing two birds with one stone, in other words, you can listen to the explanation and history without walking on the street. These days many tourists come to Kyoto, so there are plenty of English. guides. Rickshaw drivers need knowledge about history, seasonal hi lights and many other things. Furthermore, rickshaw drivers need the skill to talk with people and make them happy.

A Kyoto rickshaw diver

We interviewed a rickshaw driver to find out more about rickshaws. By interviewing him, we could find out many new things that we could not find on the internet. We asked a rickshaw driver named Mr. Kyuragi about the various aspects of his job. He works in Arashiyama and mentioned that the most rewarding part of his job were the smiles of his customers. Of course there are many hard things about a rickshaw job such as the study of Kyoto history, building up stamina and staying in good physical condition, or improving communication skills. However, these are essential things to make the customer feel satisfied. Also he is always careful about customers’ feelings. He tries to talk to them about something that relates to each customer so that the experience of riding a rickshaw will be memorable for them. Nowadays it is said that on some days the number foreign customers are up to 70% a day, so it has become important to communicate with them in foreign languages.

When we went to Kyoto we learned that driving rickshaws is rewarding work. The driver tries to help people who come to Arashiyama in order to for them to have better travel experiences. We are very proud of Kyoto rickshaw drivers and hope the history of rickshaw will continue in the future.

Rickshaws in Japan

The Japanese-style rickshaw was invented by Kosuke Izumi, Kosuke Takayama and Tokujiro Suzuki in about 1868. When they went to Tokyo, they saw carriages and inspired by them to develop a jinrikusha or rickshaw. It is one kind of vehicle that has been used as a means of transportations in Japan. A rickshaw has a covered seat set between two wheels, and is pulled by a “driver.” People who pull rickshaws are called “shahu.” Rickshaws are still used in many tourist areas for sightseeing, especially in Kyoto. When customers hire a rickshaws, the rickshaw driver is expected to tell stories about local history and give advice about popular stores or restaurants because they know the best places in Kyoto.

Rickshaw Driver Youshito Ayata

We interviewed a Japanese rickshaw driver named Yoshito Ayata. He works at Ebisuya, which is a rickshaw company located near Arashiyama Station in Kyoto. He is a 20-year-old student and goes to Ritsumeikan University. He has been driving rickshaws for about one year, so he talked about his job.

Karen:Why did you decide to start working at Ebisuya?

Yoshito: It has been my dream job since I was about nine years old. When I saw the rickshaw for the first time, I thought it was super cool. Ever since that day I decided to do this job after I graduated from high school.

Mayu:What have you learned by your experience as a rickshaw driver?

Yoshito: I learned a lot of things—not only how to drive the rickshaw but also how to show hospitality. And it is very good exercise for me and I can practice foreign languages with my customers.

Karen:That is great. What do you consider when you interact with foreign customers? Is there any difference between Japanese and foreign customers?

Yoshito: There is so much difference between Japanese and foreign customers. Some foreigners think that the rickshaw is just a cheap means of transportation like in India or Thailand, so they will be surprised when they see the price. One more example, when I give them a guided tour about one area in Kyoto, most of them don’t know about the Tale of Genji nor Hyakunin-isshyu, so it is a bit hard to explain about the history.

Yuri: I see. It is so interesting.

Karen:Yes. Even Japanese don’t know a lot about Japanese history, so it must be harder to explain about Japanese history to foreign customers.

Yuri:By the way, why can you speak English so well?

Yoshito: Oh, I studied abroad in New Zealand for one year when I was a high school student. That is why I speak English better than the other drivers, so I mainly deal with foreign customers. My boss always passes them to me. But many times I interact with Chinese customers too, so I would like to improve my Chinese language. It is the hardest thing for me.

Yuri:Do you have anything that you think about concerning this job? And also I’d like to know how you felt when you drove a rickshaw for the first time.

Yoshito: I think a lot about maintaining a healthy condition, especially in the summer time. And also in the rainy season! It takes about 40 minutes to polish my rickshaw when it rains. And balancing the rickshaw for the first time was the hardest thing for me. Also the rickshaw is categorized as a light vehicle such as bicycle or scooter, so you have to follow the traffic laws, and you have to speak to the customer at the same time.

Yuri:I never thought about it. You have to run with the road traffic! So interesting.

Mayu:That is so scary!….haha. Okay then, what is the most precious thing for you when you are working?

Yoshito: When my customers could enjoy my ride from the bottom of their heart. I like their smiles very much.

Karen: Okay thanks. It’s the last question. What are the attractive points of Kyoto when being viewed from a rickshaw?

Yoshito: When you ride the rickshaw, everything seems attractive, because you can see the town from a different perspective. And I highly recommend the path that goes through the bamboo forest here, especially in the early morning when nobody is around.

Mayu: I don’t know about rickshaws much but really want to ride one someday.

Yoshito: Please come to Ebisuya!

Yuri:Yes! Thanks!

Hiring a jinrikishya in Kyoto will become one of your best memories. They are not at all like a bus or a taxi. Not only as vehicle, but also as an activity, you can get closer to Kyoto, learn about recommended places, touch culture and history, and find new attractive points from the new perspective of rickshaw. Try and go around Kyoto with Jinrikisya!!!